The Criterion Collection, the entertainment industry's most beloved and respected DVD, Blu-ray and digital release procurer and provider bar none, is set to release two films of particular interest to theatre fans just in time for the holiday season with the long-awaited Blu-ray debuts of both Robert Altman's NASHVILLE and The Maysles' GREY GARDENS.

One of the most unique and arresting documentaries of the 1970s, GREY GARDENS features former socialites Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter Edie as they inhabit a decaying old mansion, recalling a distant glorious past. The film was adapted into a multi-Tony Award-winning musical of the same name in 2006. This is the Blu-ray debut of the film.

The official synopsis of GREY GARDENS is as follows: "Meet Big and Little Edie Beale: mother and daughter, high-society dropouts, and reclusive cousins of Jackie Onassis. The two manage to thrive together amid the decay and disorder of their East Hampton, New York, mansion, making for an eerily ramshackle echo of the American Camelot. An impossibly intimate portrait, this 1976 documentary by Albert and David Maysles, codirected by Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer, quickly became a cult classic and established Little Edie as a fashion icon and philosopher queen. The Blu-ray edition features the 2006 follow-up to the film, The Beales of Grey Gardens, constructed from hours of extra footage in the filmmakers' vaults."

The official description of NASHVILLE is as follows: "This cornerstone of 1970s American moviemaking from Robert Altman is a panoramic view of the country's political and entertainment landscapes, set in the nation's music capital. Nashville weaves the stories of twenty-four characters-from country star to wannabe to reporter to waitress-into a cinematic tapestry that is equal parts comedy, tragedy, and musical. Many members of the astonishing cast wrote and performed their own songs live on location, which lends another layer to the film's quirky authenticity. Altman's ability to get to the heart of American life via its eccentric byways was never put to better use than in this grand, rollicking triumph, which barrels forward to an unforgettable conclusion."

NASHVILLE will be released on December 3.

More information on the new editions of GREY GARDENS and NASHVILLE is available at the official Criterion Collection upcoming releases page here.

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Pat Cerasaro contributes exclusive scholarly columns including InDepth InterViews, Sound Off, Theatrical Throwback Thursdays, Flash Friday and Flash Special as well as additional special features, world premiere clips and extensive news coverage. His work for the site has appeared in The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, US Weekly, The Biography Channel, NBC and more. He also wrote and directed two sold-out 2014 BroadwayWorld charity concert events featuring all-star casts, EVERYTHING'S COMING UP BROADWAYWORLD.COM: A JULE STYNE TRIBUTE and THE LORD & THE MASTER: BROADWAYWORLD.COM SINGS THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER & STEPHEN SONDHEIM.